Li Xiaoqi sighed while pointing his hand to the west, Su Zicheng patted the folding fan heavily and smiled: "I think so too!" Li Xiaoqi stood up, looked at Su Zicheng and said with a smile: "I'll go to the Zhizhou Yamen to have a look, you are busy with yours." Su Zicheng nodded and agreed, and instructed Mingzhu to take Li Xiaoqi to the Zhizhou Yamen, and he took a few small people to set up defenses and clean up hidden dangers.

Li Xiaoqi was busy until midnight, among the three people in Hancheng, Zhou Shanqi stayed in Hancheng, and the other two and the other five or six seven-eight-grade officials who rushed over early this morning gathered in one place, ran for five or six hours, and finally rushed to the outside of Chuzhou City around the hour, and were hung up one by one by the soldiers guarding the city, and rushed into the city and began to get busy. Li Xiaoqi slept for an hour or two, got up and was busy until the afternoon, Su Zicheng rushed back from outside, bathed and changed clothes, and turned around, seeing that Li Xiaoqi had found a few lines such as muddy water and woodwork, and was arranging the construction of the Zhizhou Yamen and the destruction of houses everywhere, standing next to her and waiting for her to finish her instructions, before asking with a smile: "Didn't you give a family how much silver in the past?" Why did you renovate the house this time? ”

"Chuzhou Mansion is not better than Hancheng, Hancheng is small, the damage is limited, the person who fell the house took the silver, invited a few craftsmen, and asked relatives and neighbors to help, so that they could Zhang Luo, and there was still some silver left after repairing the house, it is different here, there is no silver at this time, and no one can be invited to fight like this, who dares to come out? You see, the shops in this city are closed, so we have to come forward to find these people to come and repair the house, first, they come forward, not afraid of not being able to hire craftsmen, and second, let them come forward to find those merchants to buy all kinds of things to use, whether they open the door or not, they can buy it, alas! I gave 20% more than the market price, and I paid half of it in advance before the start of work, and then asked them to buy things in cash at a price higher than 10%, and as soon as the house started, these craftsmen and merchants knew that we said that one is one, fair trading, this work began to be done, the shops opened, and people's hearts gradually stabilized, well, where did you go? Didn't seem to see you back last night? ”

"I went to take a look outside Yangzhou." Su Zicheng stretched his arm and replied, Li Xiaoyi looked at him with some stunnedness, Su Zicheng smiled and took half a step back and said, "Look, didn't I come back well?" It's okay, you're busy, I'll go sleep for a while, and we'll go for a walk around the city in the evening. Saying that, without waiting for Li Xiaoqi to answer, he turned around and went inside, Li Xiaoqi looked at him inexplicably and disappeared after a few steps, and stood stunned for a long time without thinking.

In the evening, when Su Zicheng found Li Xiaoyi, Li Xiaoqi was hiding behind the window of the half-collapsed state capital yamen with green oranges and looking in, Su Zicheng leaned over, glanced in from Li Xiaoyi's head, and asked in a low voice: "How did you become a thief?" Li Xiaoqi glanced at him, put his finger to his lips to signal him to silence, and there were seven or eight small officials standing against the wall in half of the yamen, dressed in dirty official uniforms, and the unkempt hair of Zhao Hongzhi, the magistrate of Yuan Yun County, was facing the window with his back to the window, one foot hanging down, one foot on the armchair, shaking his head back and forth to listen to the main thin water in front of him to report the spring and autumn to the account, the main thin face was black and yellow, and the robe was full of sweat stains and stains, and he raised his eyes from time to time to glance at Zhao Hongzhi, his fingers kept staining saliva, the account book turned quickly, and the number was reported faster. Su Zicheng lowered his head and leaned into Li Xiaoyi's ear and muttered, "This master is not honest. ”

"Well, look." Li Xiaoqi replied in a low voice, the two of them looked intently at the room, the lord finished reporting the spring and autumn fu in one breath, took a deep breath, half-bowed, looked at Zhao Hongzhi from the corner of his eyes, and looked very respectfully waiting for Zhao Hongzhi to speak, and the little officials standing around him also looked at Zhao Hongzhi with the master bow, Zhao Hongzhi slowly put down the foot on the chair, patted the placket and asked, "All the spring fu has been collected?" ”

"Back to the master, I just said it, and I have collected it." The lord Bo's attitude was respectful, but there was a thorn in his words, Zhao Hongzhi said 'um', and then asked, "Where is the grain?" ”

"Back to the master, I said it just now, it has been handed over, let's Chuzhou will remit to Yangzhou Mansion first, as for where Yangzhou Mansion will be sent, the little ones don't know, this, I also said it just now." The lord bowed thinly, his attitude was respectful, but his words were not polite, Zhao Hongzhi asked again, "The old grain or the new grain?" The corners of the Lord's thin mouth turned down and he smiled: "Naturally, it is old grain, how can there be new grain in March?" ”

"Oh, it turned out to be old grain, well, that's good, it's very good, instead of harvesting old grain next spring, it's better to merge next year's spring fu into this year's autumn fu together, and I'll talk to the fifth master when I turn around, and it's so decided." Zhao Hongzhi said slowly, and the corners of the lord's thin eyes twitched again and again: "Master, there is no such rule!" This! This Spring and Autumn Festival is set by Taizu ••••••" Lord Bo raised his hand to cover his mouth, and pressed back the words behind, Zhao Hongzhi nodded a few times: "Since you know that it is not proper, I won't talk about you, master, our rules in Beiping, this grain endowment will be a disaster, in March, the ground is full of green seedlings, this bone eye is harvested, this is called absurd, our Beiping rules are the best, that's all!" There are two more things, you all listen, don't blame the lord for not mentioning you when I look back, this, I'll listen to the lord! A season of autumn endowment, plus next year's spring endowment, together with the number of words, the fifth master confessed, this year each subtracted by three percent, is considered to make up for the famine of the war, how many nuclear each household out, two big words copied out, one, posted on the eight-character wall at the entrance of this yamen, and also one, which village, on the village to the village, the fifth master said, this is called tax publicity, do you understand? The lord half opened his mouth, stunned for a while, Zhao Hongzhi smiled, and continued slowly: "This second, listen to it, remember, our five masters have heavy rules, the prince's temperament, I won't talk about it, then Yangzhou Mansion, but tomorrow the day after tomorrow will be the day after tomorrow, and it will not take a few days, and it will be down, this account, such a pair, such a trial, where is the old grain transport?" That's shallots mixed with tofu... Alas, don't blame the lord I didn't tell you clearly, lord, I have a good temper, soft-hearted, the most can't kill, as soon as I hear this family of adults and children crying and shouting, lord, where do I •••••• this heart" Zhao Hongzhi raised the sleeves that were so dirty that he couldn't get dirty, pressed the corners of his eyes, the lord's face was blue and gray, staring at Zhao Hongzhi, who didn't know whether he was really sad or falsely sad, his eyes suddenly turned to a row of small officials next to him, the little officials shrank their necks one by one, their heads almost hung into their chests, and they didn't dare to say a word, the lord was stunned for a moment, Qiang smiled and arched his hand: "Master, it's still inside, it's still a little crooked, and the little one hasn't had time to say it yet." ”

"Well, let's say, sir, I'm soft-hearted." Zhao Hongzhi looked at his sleeves, patted a few times and said, the lord swallowed his saliva and said with a strong smile: "Master Shengming, this spring fu is a little particular, and the master also knows that it is not a good time to collect the money in March, and the old men all love the people like children. ”

"Oh? Then what we sent to Yangzhou Mansion is this account book? What about the grain? Zhao Hongzhi's voice was full of sudden realization, the lord Bo Adam's apple moved a few times, gritted his teeth and replied: "Master Yingming, this grain will be guaranteed by the squires and rich households in each village first, and it will be collected after the autumn." ”

"Oh!" Zhao Hongzhi patted the armrest of the chair heavily, dragged the long sound and suddenly realized it again, Li Xiaoqi heard this, pursed his lips and smiled, pushed Su Zicheng to take two steps back, beckoned to Su Zicheng, turned around and walked out.

The two of them walked out of the yamen, Su Zicheng shook the folding fan and smiled: "What is this person's name?" Interesting! Where did such a wonderful person come from! ”

"Called Zhao Hongzhi, he was originally the magistrate of Yunxian County, he was raised at the age of twenty-one, he was born as a Jinshi, looking at his performance appraisal over the years, everything else is good, but this is not rough, tired and difficult to entangle, and he has been criticized by others. Last night, I sent a job to each person, and everyone else has been busy until now, just him, I slept a lot in the afternoon, said that it was sorted out, I went to see, I really can't find fault, I asked people to take his resume and look at it, let him come and check the tax for me, you see, it's a usable right? I'll leave this Chuzhou to him, the magistrates of several counties under the jurisdiction of Chuzhou, let him look at it and pick one, a few more like this, I can save a lot of worry. Li Xiaoqi replied with a smile, but Su Zicheng's face was so gloomy that he could drip water: "I told my eldest brother that I must pick capable people to come over, how can I also pick them up in the performance appraisal every year?!" Such a big thing! ”

Li Xiaoqi turned his head to look at him, thought about it, and then said with a smile: "Every year, the performance appraisal is down, it is not necessarily not a capable member, there are many things that are not encountered in this Huaicai, if you have any questions, after going back, just ask Prince Ning in person?" These two batches of people are all good for me anyway. Su Zicheng looked at Li Xiaoyi, was silent for a long time, 'um', the two walked in silence for a while, Su Zicheng turned his head to look at Li Xiaoqi and said in a low voice: "There are a few officials, all of them were brought up by the eldest brother when he was acting in charge of the ministry, it stands to reason that there should be no problem, but •••••• go back and talk about it." Li Xiaoqi turned his head to look at him and said with a smile: "Let's go to the Salesian Bureau in Dongcheng to have a look, where Wu Chengshan is busy settling those sick and homeless people." ”

"You're going to arrange for him to do this?" Su Zicheng changed the topic with Li Xiaoyi's words, Li Xiaoqi smiled and nodded: "Yes, since yesterday evening, I have asked him to take charge of such things as pacifying and relieving the people, Nanning helped me pick dozens of young soldiers with kind eyebrows, diligent hands and feet, and likable, dressed cleanly, followed behind Wu Chengshan single-mindedly, and told everyone how our Beiping Army did not commit any crimes in the autumn, how our Liang Wangye loved the people like a son, and helped each family clean and tidy up, tidy up, administer medicine for the sick, send rice to those who are short of food, until now, I've already walked most of the city. Su Zicheng raised his eyebrows, raised his hand to stroke his forehead, and was speechless for a while.